


Turning point

by orphan_account



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Daddy Kink, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 04:07:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2052933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Legolas has been living a lie - several lies, in fact. When Thranduil can't sleep, the domino effect sends them tumbling down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turning point

It was late. Thranduil should have been sleeping, but he wasn't. 

Imladris had never failed to set him on edge, especially in the summer; he was used to the wild freedom of Mirkwood, not Rivendell's stuffy halls and rigid procedures. The meeting this afternoon could have been an hour shorter, had the Council simply gotten to the point rather than debating trivial issues, and though he'd managed to negotiate a far better trade deal than he could have gotten from Laketown the meeting itself left him restless. 

So, instead of sleeping, he was wandering the halls, trying to memorize the layout of this unfamiliar terrain.

Light streamed from the open doorway, illuminating the entire hall. "Daddy," his son's voice moaned from inside, and Thranduil's eyes widened as he realized where he was. 

He stepped closer to Elrond's door and saw Legolas, sitting almost demurely - and entirely naked - in Elrond's lap. 

Thranduil, needless to say, had never known about this. 

He could see why: it was common knowledge that he didn't like Elrond much, and he would surely have forbidden such a union had Legolas asked. But it still stung that he hadn't even been told. 

Elrond leaned down to take the tip of Legolas's ear in his mouth and sucked on it like it was candy, drawing more moans from Legolas. "Thank you- Daddy-" 

Elrond let the tip slip out of his mouth. "You are always welcome," he said softly, and his tone was full to bursting with affection.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you?" Legolas asked, breathless and coy. Thranduil couldn't quite stop himself from shivering at the obvious implication. 

He couldn't stand Elrond. Legolas was his son. And yet, he hadn't been this aroused in centuries.

Legolas couldn't know. 

Legolas could never know. 

"Not tonight, Las," Elrond said, gentle but leaving no room for argument. "Your ada would kill me." He leaned forward and whispered something Thranduil didn't hear, and from the blush that settled over Legolas's face he didn't think he wanted to.

Legolas smiled, a bit awkward and a bit crooked but real. "I wish Ada would love me like you do," he murmured.

It took Thranduil a moment to understand, but when he did he nearly fell backwards. Did Legolas truly-

He slipped away, mind and stomach churning. He didn't hear Elrond say, "You should tell him. Maybe he wants you too," didn't hear Legolas's response of, "I will. Thank you, Daddy," didn't hear their conversation about the twins.

He was too busy sneaking back to his room, pretending to himself that this hadn't happened. Trying not to throw up when he reached his bathroom. 

It didn't work.

Of course it didn't work. 

 

There was a knock on his door in the proverbial darkest hour just before dawn. Thranduil was still awake - he hadn't managed to find sleep, how could he? - but he didn't answer. It was childish, but he didn't want to face the world. 

The door opened with a soft whirr and closed with a click. "Adar?"

Legolas's voice. If he didn't want to face the world, he doubly didn't want to face his son. Not so soon. 

But he was Thranduil Oropherion, King of the Greenwood. And he was not a coward.

"Ion nin." He didn't move from his position lying on his side, didn't look up. 

Legolas bit his lip. "Ada, I..." He didn't seem to know how to put his thoughts into words, so he stopped trying. Instead he sat down, mattress dipping beneath him, and started circling his fingertips over Thranduil's hipbone, the rhythm of the motion calming both of them.

"Las nin?" He sat up beside Legolas. "Is something wrong?"

Legolas's face curved into a shy sort of smile, and he leaned forward to kiss his father's cheek, hand still moving. "No, nothing is wrong. I was just wondering something." 

Thranduil pretended he had no idea what that something was. Heat spread through him at the affected innocence in Legolas's tone as he whispered, "Ada, may I pleasure you?"

He shouldn't want this, he knew he shouldn't.

"I love you." His throat felt like it had been corked shut. "But no, Las. I can't." Thranduil pretended he didn't see the hurt in Legolas's features. "We can't."

Thranduil's rule of thumb had always been: If you have to convince yourself, it's a bad idea. 

And that would have been a bad idea. It was a bad idea to leave his rooms that night, and it would have been a bad idea to bed his son. 

"Can't?" Legolas's smile was playful, voice gently teasing. "Or don't want to?"

Why did this have to be so hard? "Both," Thranduil said firmly, and the kitten-like smile on his son's face shattered into broken hope and impossible wishes.

Thranduil's heart twisted in pain, in guilt. He was trying to protect Legolas, not hurt him. 

But. Thranduil would not, could not, accept Legolas's offer. It would have hurt him far more had Thranduil told him yes, led him on, and then rejected him in the light of morning. 

It was the right decision. It was. 

But for the rest of his life, Thranduil would remember Legolas's expression, remember the tears starting to well up in dark green eyes, and wonder.


End file.
